The Portland daily press., 1887-02-04
FATHER mccLYNN's AccusERs
He Answers Some Of the Charges
Made Against Him.
His Explanation Of His Position en-
the Land Question.
His defence for Speaking In Behalf
Of Ireland's Oppressed People.

His defence for Speaking in Behalf
Of Ireland's Oppressed People.
Manly Declaration from McCIynn as
to His Rights as Man and citizen.
McGlynn Publishes in the Standard, Henry
Georges paper, long statement in which
he says: archbishop Corrigan having seen
fit to publish a statement giving letters and
parts Of letters relating to me, now supple
ment his publication with such documents
concerning censures upon my course as i
have been able to lay my hands upon, accom-
panying them with some necessary explana-
tion. The letter Of August, 1882, from Car
dinal Simoni, to which Archbishop Corrigan
refers / am not able to find, but it is true, as
he states, that this letter complained of my
land league speeches as containing propo-
sitions openly contrary to the teachings Of
the Catholic church. The doctrines thus
stigmatized were those / have held and
taught before and since, namely, that all
men are equally entitled to the use Of the
general bOunties of nature, including land,
as well as light, air, and water, and that
human laws ought to be so changed as to
conform to this dietum of natural justice.
| affirm that while acknowledging the right
of exclusive ownership in all that is pro-
duced by human industry, | would at the
same time compel those enjoying exclusively
larger or ehoicer portions OF the bounties OF
nature pay the community an equiv
al In
the full amount of rent at its value. 1t
is absolutely false, although stated by Arch
bishop Corrigan on the authority of Cardi-
nal McCloskey that / recognized my errors
and professed to be sorry for Them" On the
contrary, in my interview with Cardinal
McCl0skey | reaffiTmed the doctrine and
explained and defended it from misunder-
standings and dmisapprehenslOns.
He said to me, you wish to divide the
land of Manhattan Island into little bits and
give every one of us bit.
/ told him / desired nothing Of the kind,
and gave him his first lesson in new political
economy, assuring him that to secure the
equal rights of all to land of the community,
it would not be necessary to disturb the pres
ent holders of land from the occupation
thereof, but only to change our methods Of
taxation, SO no taxes should be levied on
buildings, or Improvements, or any. other
products of human industry. / told him
substantially that | knew my theology well
enough not to sin against it ignorantly, and
that loved my religion too well to sin against
it willfully. voluntarily promised to alb
stain from making land league speeches, not
because / acknowledged the right of any enc
to forbid me, but because | know too well
the power of my ecclesiastical superl0rs to
impair and almost destroy my usefulness in
the ministry of Christ's church to which /
had consecrated my life"
DIR. McGlynn then gives the second letter
from Cardinal Simpeonl, which came IN
Sept, 1882.
Before Cardinal McCloskey had time to
reach Rome, it says: "In consequence Of
information received from various parts
about the scandal caused BY Priest Edward
McGlynn Of your city, by his violent speech
es in defence of the Irish Land League, in
which he has defended propositions openly
contrary to the teachings Of the Catholic
church, and has used language utterly unbe-
coming in ecelesiastic, the Holy Father has
Just now commanded me to write your emil
nence to suspend the above mentioned Priest
McGlynn from his sacred ministry, unless
you should judge such measure excessive,
considering the various circumstances which
you on the spot are better able than anyone
else to appreciate in youc well known pru-
dence. While executing with this letter the
venerated command Of the Holy Father, l
am sure that in any case your emlnence viii
not fail to use these means which you shall
Judge most opportune to reduce McGlynn to
sounder counsels and to deslst from the
course of action which he has recently fol-
lowed tothe surprise and scandal of all those
who have at heart the principles Of justice
always taught by our holy religion
Another letter of complaint received from
Rome in May, 1883, said: Last year / had
occasion to write to Your Eminence about
the priest-McGlynn, who in certain meet
ings held to favor and aid tie Irish Land
League, had uttered propositions contrary
to the doctrine Of the Catholic church. Mon
signor Corrigan, in the name OF Your Emil
nence on the 11th of September, 1882, wrote
to me that the aforementioned priest ''ac-
knOwled his errors, pr0fessed due c0ntr1tion
for them, and promised to abstain IN future
from all such meetings"
Although | have not seen any public re-
traction from him to repair the scandal,
publicly given, yet | had hoped ne would
have kept the promises made to his Arch
bishop; but instead, l find in a Boston
journal that he has again spoken In one OF
these meetings, and although he has not used
the fiery language of last year, yet he has
shown himself very much inclined to favor
an Irish revolution. Your Emlnence knows
full well how terrible are the passions arous-
ed by political and national aspirations, and
how difficult the proper exercise of his min
istry must be for a priest, who not only
abandoned himself to such passions, but
seeks, by voice and example, to maintain
and foment them among the people | there
fore, beg you to again forbid Rev. Mr.. Me-
Glynn this kind of life and declamations,
since, | am sure, it all results in injury to
his souls salvation. to which he he has ded-
icated his studies, his talents, and his life it.
self"
Referring to Cardinal Simoni's letter OF
May, 1885, Father McGlynn wrote: II re-
gret very much that the Cardinal Project has
found new cause for displeasure in some
Boston journal The meeting must have
been that held in this city in February last
which was not Land League meeting such
but was for the relief of the people suffering
from famine in Ireland, and was held by q
union of Irish county societies, under the
name of the Irish Confederation Of America
The money raised at this meeting was for.
warded to the distressed people Of Ireland
by Bishop Nulty In speaking for the relief
OF the distressed l alluded to the injustice
which is the cause of it, and urged the duty
of redressing such injustice. In this
thought was but fayoring that demand fol
Justice to Ireland which was made by O'Con-
nell and the bishops and priests OF Ireland
and by many of our own, especially Arch
bishop Hughes, and which has been, Think,
commonplace in st. Patrick's day sermons
shall henceforth refuse to take part in any
such meeting, even though 1t be for char
table objects. / condemn auy report or in
depreciation of my words contrary to the
doctrines Of the Catholic church."
The Cardinals summons to Rome was re
| ceived December 4. 1886. McGlynn wrote
Archbishop COrfigan giving S6Nefal persona
| reasons why he could not go, and, also, say
| ing that on account of his health his physi
| clan had ordered him not to take the jour
ney. McGlynn accuses the Archbishop q
| suppressing that portion Of his letter whlcl
| referred to Ills health, only publishing tina
| portion in which he referred to his INC
| Glynn's) land doctrines. He informed Arch
| bishop Corrigan that the grave reason
| against his going to Rome still hold good
| His expulsion from St. Stephens church fol
| lowed other summonses.
| DIR. McGlynn says in concluding his state
ment: "In becoming priest did not eyad
my duties nor surrender the rights Of MAJ
! and citizen. | deny the right of the Bishol
/ Propaganda, or Pope TO punish me for n,
| actions as a man and citizen in the municipal
campaign, or in other political movements
deny their right to censure me or punisl
| me for my opinions in political economy
| unless they can show these opinions ar
| clearly. contrary to the teachings of til
| Christian religion. This they have no
shown and know they cannot show. hay
| not appealed to Rome from the judgment 0
1.-THE Archbishop, and / have no desire to d
so. / deny the right Of the Bishop Propa
ganda, or Pope to order to Rome" Th
view of obedience Of the priest, of which s
many absurd things have been said With
the last few weeks, is simply a promise I
| obey the church authorities in matters cor
corning priests religious duties,
Unfavorabe reports of Father McGlynn
| health are DraValpnt.